"Perfectionism is just procrastination masquerading as quality control." –Steven Barnes
That idea you've been sitting on...just ship it. Improve it as you go.
In 2011, a 19-year-old named Sahil Lavingia built the first version of Gumroad in a single weekend. Not a polished product. Just the simplest version of his idea, shipped in two days.
Today, Gumroad is one of the biggest platforms for creators selling directly to their audience. He didn't wait for a perfect logo or a five-year roadmap. He started. The product got better because he shipped, not because he planned longer.
I owe you an apology.
I've been telling my clients for years that they need a newsletter. Meanwhile, I didn't have one. People were signing up on my website and I had nothing to send them (that's probably you if you are reading this).
That changes today.
The real problem wasn't time. It was that I was waiting for the perfect process. The right structure. The right name. The right design. A plan for 52 weeks before I ever wrote week one.
You probably have your own version of this. A business you want to launch. A system you want to build. A book you want to write. And you keep circling it, refining it, "researching" it. But you're not doing it.
Most people think preparation is progress. It's not. Preparation without execution is just a comfortable place to hide.
My podcast cohost Justin King is 30+ issues into his own newsletter. His design? A banner, his message, and a sign-off. That's it. He stripped away every barrier that could give him a reason not to hit send.
So what's the barrier you've been dressing up as preparation? Name it. Remove it. Ship it.
This newsletter is my proof. It's not perfect. But it's here. My goal is to give you actionable value in each issue, with no expectation of anything in return.
Your move.
Here's your next move:
"I don't need time, I need a deadline." –Duke Ellington
Identify one project you've been "planning" for more than two weeks. Write down the single simplest version of it you could ship this week. Then put a date on it. You don't need more time. You need a deadline.
Remove one barrier today. If it's a logo holding you up, ask AI to create a first draft in five minutes. Try Looka. If it's a template, use a blank page. If it's a name, pick one in five minutes. The barrier isn't real. Your action is.
Problem: You have ideas rattling around in your head but you keep waiting until they're "ready" before you do anything with them.
System: The Voice-First Draft. Stop typing. Start talking. Get the messy version out of your head and onto a screen, then let AI clean it up.
Try this in 10 minutes:
Install WisprFlow. It's a voice dictation tool that turns your natural speech into clean, formatted text across any app on your device. Think of it as a bridge between the ideas in your head and the screen in front of you.
Open ChatGPT or Claude and speak your messy idea out loud using WisprFlow. Don't organize. Don't edit. Just ramble.
Then add this prompt: "Clean this up. Keep my voice. Make it shorter. Don't add anything I didn't say. How can I convert this into a product that will benefit my audience?"
Review what comes back. Keep what sounds like you. Cut what doesn't.
Ship it. Send it to one person. Post it. Put it somewhere real.
This is how to authentically use AI. Your voice, your real thoughts and experiences...not the default slop.
This week on King Moves podcast (Ep. 120), Justin King and I got honest about the gap between advice and action.
Justin broke down exactly how he built a newsletter streak with zero design skills and zero excuses. The moment that hit hardest? When he said he writes it for himself first, and the subscribers take care of themselves.
If you've been stalling on something you know you should start, this one's for you. Listen here.
Stop playing life on hard mode. Automate your success.
Until next time,
Ethan King
Keynote Speaker | Author | CEO | Automation Strategist
P.S. This is issue number one. I'm not going to pretend I've got it all figured out. But I made a promise on the podcast that I'd start this, and here it is. So do me a favor. Hit reply and tell me one thing you've been putting off. Not so I can coach you on it. Just so you say it out loud to someone. That's usually the commitment it takes to get moving.
I'll be here next week. Will you?
P.P.S. Several of you asked for the latest version of ChatGPT To Double Your Business In 90 Days. It's out now. If you already have it and subscribed to updates, the latest version is in your inbox.
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